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With The Dillinger Escape Plan approaching their final tour, we are now awaiting what their various members do next. First out of the traps is bassist Liam Wilson, and if John Frum are any indication of the level of quality we’ll be getting, then we’re in for quite a treat. If you were expecting any nods to the more expansive and melodic strides Dillinger have made over the last decade, then you are in for a rude awakening here, as A Stirring In The Noos is grinding, disgusting death metal. The only relation to Liam’s former band is the disorientating, math rhythms that drive songs like the brutally excellent Pining Light and the dark, atmospheric ambience that opens Memory Palace. These qualities give John Frum their own identity and make them stand out from the average technical death metal outfit. It’s not perfect yet, with the second half of the record not always hitting its initial heights. Saying that, the best song here is the penultimate Assumption Of Form, which pulls every trick the band have in an epic, eight-minute-plus journey. There’s definitely more to come from John Frum, but this is a great start.

Since blagging his way onto the Hammer team a decade ago, Stephen has written countless features and reviews for the magazine, usually specialising in punk, hardcore and 90s metal, and still holds out the faint hope of one day getting his beloved U2 into the pages of the mag. He also regularly spouts his opinions on the Metal Hammer Podcast.